Japanese Automobile History In America 101: The Accord-based Acura Vigor became the Acura TL. The third-generation of that car joined the first Euro Accord-based TSX in Acura showrooms. Both were eventually replaced by less attractive, less desirable sedans, cars which were so much less successful than their predecessors that a new sedan strategy was required for the Acura brand. The fourth-generation TL and second-generation TSX are now extinct.
Alone, the 2015 Acura TLX is stepping in to fill a two-car void.
THE GOOD β’ Terrific ride quality β’ Prototypically smooth V6 β’ Stiff structure β’ Major league audio β’ Tasteful exterior |
THE BAD
β’ Feels like a very expensive Honda
β’ Transmission isn’t ready yet
β’ “Needs” another 50 lb-ft of torque β’ Under-tired/under-wheeled β’ Convoluted interior |
Bumper to bumper, the 2015 TLX is four inches shorter than the departed TL with which it shares a wheelbase and almost five inches longer than the expired TSX. Official specs tell a different story, but the TLX feels like the roomiest of the bunch. The TLXβs trunk, though not ideally shaped, is more capacious than the cargo holds in the two defunct Acura sedans. The 2015 TLX is about one foot longer than the Civic-based Acura ILX and nearly a half-foot shorter than the roomier Acura RLX.
Having written extensively about the TLXβs early success, I was naturally looking forward to spending time with the car. The 2015 Acura TLX supplied by Honda Canada arrived in our driveway just in time for Christmas. We criss-crossed Halifax numerous times, drove across much of Nova Scotia for an annual pilgrimage to the House Of The Great-Grandmother (and her homemade doughnuts), and attempted to arrive at some TLX-related conclusions.
The car we tested is the most expensive TLX you can buy, a Canadian-trim SH-AWD V6 Elite at $49,485.
In Canada, TLX pricing starts at $36,985 (four-cylinder, 8-speed dual-clutch auto), climbs to $41,985 (V6 AWD), and $43,685 (V6 Tech package), before climbing to the heights of our specimen. Acura also offers an array of body work and optional wheels to drive the price upward.
2015 ACURA TLX V6 SH-AWD
Base Price: $41,985 * As-Tested Price: $49,485 * Engine: 3.5L SOHC 24-valve V6
Transmission: 9-speed automatic Horsepower: 290 @ 6200 rpm
Torque: 267 lb-ft @ 4500 rpm
Curb Weight: 3785 pounds Drive Type: all-wheel-drive Length: 190.3 inches Width: 73.0 inches Height: 57.0 inches Wheelbase: 109.3 inches Tires: Michelin X-Ice Tire Size: 225/50R18 Passenger Volume: 2642 litres Cargo Volume: 405 litres EPA City: 21 mpg EPA Hwy: 31 mpg
NRCAN OEE City: 11.2 L/100km NRCAN OEE Hwy: 7.5 L/100km Observed: 25.0 mpg Observed: 9.4 L/100km * Canadian dollars, includes $1995 destination charge. MPG fuel economy ratings from the Environmental Protection Agency. L/100km ratings from the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency’s new 5-cycle testing for MY2015 vehicles. |
Initially, the $49,485 price jarred. Yet with 290 horsepower from a 3.5L V6, a 9-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel-drive, navigation, ELS audio, myriad safety abbreviations and acronyms, perforated leather, remote start, cooled seats, and a very roomy cabin, itβs a lot of car for under $50K. The TLXβs interior craftsmanship doesnβt contradict the luxury price tag, matte black plastic shift paddles and marginally excessive wind noise aside.
More importantly, equipping one of the European contenders β with their greater sporting credentials and smaller interiors β to match the TLXβs spec sheet would generate a startling MSRP.
Unlike some of those potential rivals, the TLX is a very comfortable, very nicely equipped, very capable car with an injection of sports sedan intentions, not the other way around. The spec chart says the TLX V6 AWD weighs 3785 pounds. It feels like 4000-plus. Itβs sufficiently quick, but without the artificially-aspirated torque of six-cylinder powertrains from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz, it doesnβt produce awe-inspiring off-the-line acceleration.
With Acuraβs IDS set in Econ or Normal, the transmissionβs reluctance to come out and play is all too noticeable. Sport brightens the picture; Sport+ is too aggressive for your morning commute. Never does the 9-speed feel as though Acura finished the programming. It periodically clunks into a higher gear, doesnβt favour paddle participation, and even with eight others to choose from itβs typically not keen on changing into a higher or lower gear. The transmission doesnβt ruin the experience, but itβs a step back from the ZF 8-speed found in many premium cars. Observed fuel economy of 9.4 L/100km, however, was better than the 10.0L/100km we saw in the Audi S4 and the 10.4L/100km in Mercedes-Benzβs new C400.
All Photo Credits: Timothy Cain Β©www.GoodCarBadCar.net Click Any Of Images For A Larger View |
Ride and handling are nicely balanced for the real world. Itβs not the thrill ride promised by Acura, but the TLX is all the better for it. Our TLX wore Michelin X-Ice winter tires, but a conventionally shod TLX SH-AWD V6 (225/50R18s) likewise wonβt be sold with aggressive rubber. This limits the carβs ability to tackle a twisty road at nine or ten-tenths, as does the overall sensation of heft.
But if youβre late for your daughterβs soccer game, driving the Acura with a modest degree of haste but not so much urgency as to attract authoritative attention, the TLX shines. Ride quality remains king, body roll is limited, power is present, itβs never flustered, and the steering is nicely weighted. (Indeed, I suspect the front-wheel-drive 2.4L-powered TLX would be the superior car to drive quickly despite its 84-horsepower deficit, featuring all the comfort-mindedness of this V6 SH-AWD with greater agility.) Not once did the suspension manifest the crashiness intermittently exhibited by many entry-level luxury sedans. And on a highway cruise, a top-end TLX can dramatically reduce driver fatigue by semi-autonomously steering itself with Lane Keeping Assist.
While the TLXβs on-road behaviour is largely in keeping with our real world desires (and not actually in keeping with Acuraβs marketing statements), the TLXβs complicated interior is a letdown. There are quick access buttons to help the driver find key menus, but Honda/Acura persists with the dual-screen format. Counterintuitively, the controls below the lower screen operate the upper screen. To make matters worse, the system is also consistently slow to react to inputs.
Parallel parking? Thereβs a slim rectangular button for park, a button pulled back for reverse, a larger rectangle for neutral, and then a circle to depress for drive. Did shifters need to be reinvented? If so, rotary knobs did it better.
Still, the TLX is (thankfully) normal in most ways. This is a FWD-based sedan with a high-tech AWD system. There are no on/off turbos here, just a smooth Honda V6. Its exterior styling will cause TLXs to disappear in parking lots full of ostentatious luxury sedans. Itβs very reasonably priced. Visibility? Better than average. Sportiness? Neither emphasized nor absent.
The Acura TLX, regardless of engine and trim, will appeal to premium car buyers who donβt need their car to declare to the world the enormity of their year end promotion. LinkedIn does a better job of that anyway.
For the TLX to appeal to me personally, I would need Acura to simplify the interior and finish refining the transmission. Then I could forget about manual-shift first-gen TSXs and handsomely proportioned third-gen TLs in order to enjoy this car for what it is: a tasteful, powerful, efficient, value-conscious, family sedan. And with optional self-steering, I could enjoy more of Grammieβs doughnuts, too.
* Along with Acura, we recommend you hold on to the steering wheel. You should also limit your intake of doughnuts.
Great article Tim. Having owned one of those 3rd generation TL's, I have not yet been tempted to set foot back in an Acura dealership until now. By trimming down the size of the TLX, I believe Honda has given the car more style and sporting potential. I do wish that they'd do better with the option packages on the car as a 4-cylinder AWD would compete nicely with the Audi A4 Quattro, BMW 328i xDrive and Mercedes-Benz C300 4Matic.
You don't receive $50,000 worth of car. Better option would be Regal GS AWD or a Chrysler V6 200 AWD for $20,000 less than the Acura.
A Regal AWD can be had for almost 1/2 price of the TLX AWD. There is no way the Acura is twice the car of the Buick.
The lease is running out on my 2012 TL SH-AWD 6 speed, and I am heartsick about it's demise and subsequent replacement with the new TLX. While an impressive looking car with so many of the more modern features like those of Audi S5 and Infiniti Q60, it is supremely disappointing to not be offered a manual transmission. I regret that I am now having to scramble to find a car of equal style, speed and with premium equipment like my TL. My 5th Acura is my last Acura should they nt come up with a MT in the verynear future. It is a gorgeous piece of metal tho…….